Playstation Network to air original short films in Europe

Following in Microsoft's footsteps, Sony is planning to release some original …

In an effort to compete with the original video productions being assembled for Xbox Live, Sony has announced that it will be launching a similar project with the Playstation Network—but only in Europe for the moment. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announced that a series of short films, featuring the combined efforts of "new talent" in the film industry with that of big-name veterans like Jerry Bruckheimer, will launch later this month.

It turns out that the concepts for these films were "shaped only by one of a number of words that capture the essence of PlayStation: Play, Create, Share, Connect, Discover and Challenge." The movies will be available for free download on the European Playstation Store beginning on November 13, and will air on ShortsTV in January.

Whether or not these films will be released for American audiences remains to be seen, as SCEA has yet to make any official announcement. As the directors of each of these videos are based out of various European countries, there's a strong possibility that audiences on this side of the Atlantic might not get to see them, but it doesn't seem unreasonable to hope for a similar project featuring the efforts of filmmakers from within these borders in the future.

Latest Ars Video >

War Stories | Thief: The Dark Project

1998's Thief: The Dark Project was a pioneer for the stealth genre, utilizing light and shadow as essential gameplay mechanics. The very thing that Thief became so well-known for was also the game's biggest development hurdle. Looking Glass Studios founder Paul Neurath recounts the difficulties creating Thief: The Dark Project, and how its AI systems had to be completely rewritten years into development.

War Stories | Thief: The Dark Project

War Stories | Thief: The Dark Project

1998's Thief: The Dark Project was a pioneer for the stealth genre, utilizing light and shadow as essential gameplay mechanics. The very thing that Thief became so well-known for was also the game's biggest development hurdle. Looking Glass Studios founder Paul Neurath recounts the difficulties creating Thief: The Dark Project, and how its AI systems had to be completely rewritten years into development.